Alt text for product images: how to write it for shoppers and search
Alt text describes an image for screen readers and search engines. See how to write useful product alt text and fix missing descriptions at scale.
1 min read
Area
CRO & UX
Severity
Medium
Fix effort
Small
Stores failing
10%
Of 174 stores we scanned where this check applies, 10% fail it and 76% pass. See all benchmarks.
Alt text is a short written description of an image. Screen readers read it to people who cannot see the photo, and search engines use it to understand what the picture shows. This check looks at whether the product images on your page carry alt text.
Why it matters
Accessibility is the first reason: a blind shopper cannot buy a product whose images are unlabelled. It also supports image search, where a good description can bring visitors. And when an image fails to load, alt text is what appears instead.
What the audit looks at
The audit reads the images in the product gallery and counts those with a non-empty alt attribute.
What usually causes it
- Images uploaded with no description field filled in
- Bulk imports that leave alt text blank
- Alt text copied as the file name
- A gallery app that strips attributes
How to fix it
Write alt text describing each meaningful image. The effort is small, usually a setting or a paste and under 30 minutes.
- Describe what the image shows, not what it is called. "Grey merino crew sock, side view" beats "IMG_4821".
- Decorative images take an empty alt="" so screen readers skip them.
- This is both an accessibility obligation and how image search finds your products.
How to check it yourself
- View the source and search for <img tags without alt= or with alt="".
- Use a screen reader or a browser extension that shows alt text.
- Check the media library fields for a description or alt text column.
Frequently asked questions
What makes good alt text?
A plain description of what the image shows, such as navy linen shirt, front view. No keyword stuffing.
Do decorative images need alt text?
Purely decorative images should have an empty alt attribute so screen readers skip them.
Related checks
Check your own store
See whether your store passes this check
Paste your store URL. The audit loads your pages in a real browser and shows the result for this check with the evidence behind it.